The identification of Dragonflies and Damselflies is made easier by use of the web site for dragonflies and damselflies at www.odonatacentral.org/index.php/PageAction.get/name/HomePage . Then, click on the Checklists tab, then choose your location, starting with the region of the world, and all the way to your county. For El Paso county, Colorado, there are 43 distinct species listed and you can browse through the photos. The 36th species was due to my submission of a photo of the Great Spreadwing, confirmed on 19 March 2011. The 37th was my photo of the Spotted Spreadwing.

Another excellent web page for Dragonflies and Damselflies in the Southwest part of the U.S., including Colorado, is at southwestdragonflies.net/.

Dragonflies:       Family Gomphidae Snaketail Dragonflies       Family Aeshnidae Darner dragonflies       Family Libellulidae Skimmer dragonflies Damselflies:       Family Lestidae Spreadwing damselflies.       Family Calopterygidae Broad-winged damselflies       Family Coenagrionoidea Narrow winged damselflies

Family gomphidae, Snaketail dragonflies

A Dragonfly, found on 13 August 2009 at the Fountain Creek Nature Center. This is a Pale Snaketail, Ophiogomphus severus. Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Arthropoda Class: Insecta Order: Odonata Family: Gomphidae Genus: Ophiogomphus Species: severus

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Family Aeshnidae, Darner dragonflies

This Dragonfly is a Blue-eyed Darner. It is a common dragonfly in the Western United States. This one was photographed at the Fountain Creek Nature Center, on 4 July 2010. Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Arthropoda Class: Insecta Order: Odonata Family: Aeshnidae Genus: Aeshna Species: A. multicolor

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Family Libellulidae, Skimmer dragonflies

This Twelve-spotted Skimmer dragonfly was photographed by Alyssa Erickson in July 2010. It is an adult male, due to the presence of the white spots between the dark spots on the wings. It is common throughout Southern Canada and all 48 contiguous United States. Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Arthropoda Subphylum: Hexapoda Class: Insecta Order: Odonata Suborder: Anisoptera Family: Libellulidae Genus: Libellula Species: L. pulchella
A Variegated Meadowhawk dragonfly, found at the Bear Creek Nature center on 1 September 2010. Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Arthropoda Class: Insecta Order: Odonata Suborder: Anisoptera Family: Libellulidae Genus: Sympetrum Species: S. corruptum
This dragonfly was found at the Fountain Creek Nature Center on 4 September 2010. This one is also a Variegated Meadowhawk, but according to the experts, it is an old female that is showing her age. A little smaller than most, and the tail is a little thicker than most.
An Eastern Pondhawk, found at the Fountain Creek Nature Center on 14 August 2011. Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Arthropoda Class: Insecta Order: Odonata Family: Libellulidae Genus: Erythemis Species: E. simplicicollis

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Family Coenagrionoidea -- Narrow winged damselflies

According to Wikipedia, The Coenagrionidae enjoy a world-wide distribution, and are among the most common of damselfly families. There are about 40 Genera in this family.

A Damselfly, picture taken at Pueblo lake in 2007 by Alyssa Erickson. The damselfly is not the same thing as a dragonfly. There are 39 different species within the genus Enallagma (Bluet), and this one is a Familiar Bluet. Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Arthropoda Class: Insecta Order: Odonata (Dragonflies and Damselflies) Family: Coenagrionoidea Genus: Enallagma Specific name: civile
This one is another Familiar Bluet, found at the Fountain Creek Nature Center on 22 August 2009. It appears to be identical to the one in the photo above.
Another Familiar Bluet, this one at Skaguay lake in Teller County, Colorado on 21 June 2011.
Another Familiar Bluet, this one at Eleven Mile reservoir in Park county, Colorado on 5 July 2011.

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Family Lestidae - Spreadwing damselflies.

According to Wikipedia, Lestidae is a rather small family of cosmopolitan, large-sized, slender damselflies. They are of the order of the dragonflies (Odonata) and are commonly known as "Spreadwings." While most damselflies rest with their wings folded together, most members of the family Lestidae hold them at an angle away from their bodies. The pterostigma (a single dark spot in the meshwork of the leading edge near the tip of each wing) is noticeably elongated. The quadrilateral (a part of the wing venation, close to the body) has an acute angle at the end. The body has a greenish metallic shine. The superior anal appendages, commonly called claspers (body parts of male insect for clasping the female during copulation) of male spreadwings are long and strongly curved.

Another Damselfly, this one a female Great Spreadwing, Archilestes grandis. She is resting on one of our Gladiola plants. The identification was provided by the experts at bugguide.net/node/view/1574 . The picture was taken on 13 September 2008 in Colorado Springs, CO. Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Arthropoda Class: Insecta Order: Odonata Suborder: Zygoptera Family: Lestidae (Spreadwings) Genus: Archilestes Species: grandis
This Damselfly hitched a ride with me in my car on 20 September 2009 in Colorado Springs. It is a Spotted Spreadwing - Lestes congener. It is a male. Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Arthropoda Class: Insecta Order: Odonata Suborder: Zygoptera Family: Lestidae (Spreadwings) Genus: Lestes Species: congener
This male Damselfly was found at the Fountain Creek Nature Center on 15 October 2010. It appears to be a Spotted Spreadwing like the one above.

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Family Calopterygidae, Broad-winged damselflies

This one is an American Rubyspot, Hetaerina americana, found at the Fountain Creek Nature Center on 16 July 2010. Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Arthropoda Class: Insecta Order: Odonata Family: Calopterygidae Genus: Hetaerina species: americana
Some of these were flying around the shore at Skaguay Reservior, Teller county, Colorado on 14 June 2011. The way they lay their wings back when resting makes me think they are Damselflies. No identification has been made yet.